Mancester City were always going to be the favourites heading into their clash against Fulham at the Etihad, but they still had to go out there and produce the sort of performance necessary to claim all three points in this David vs Goliath encounter. It was tough at times, but after a strong first half showing, City were able to ease their way to a comfortable 2-0 win.
The Sterling effect
From scoring the opener to winning the penalty for the second, Raheem Sterling produced his most influential output in recent weeks to guide City to victory. The penalty is actually the 20th he has won in the Premier League which is more than any other player, and while some will point to that as one of the issues in his game, he’s clearly doing something right. If he can continue to play to his full potential then there’s no reason why he can’t be the first name on the teamsheet for Gareth Southgate next summer.
Fulham’s fighting spirit
It may not have counted for much in the grand scheme of things but Fulham should be proud of their ability to really stick with City and not allow them to get too far ahead in the scoreline. The Cottagers are bound to struggle this season but if they’re serious about making a real push for survival, then this is what we need to see. They know courtesy of the Leicester win that they have the players necessary to make some waves, and that should bode well for them as we approach the new year.
City are back in the race
At this moment in time, Manchester City are priced as the 13/8 favourites with Betfair to win the Premier League title. That may seem odd to some but they’re the only side in that mix who have been able to showcase some consistency in recent weeks – and that’s what you need to make a sustained surge for the title in the current climate. Pep Guardiola knows that the club is flying under the radar right now, and you’d have to imagine he prefers that dynamic to the pressure that comes with high expectations.
Match Report
Manchester City: Ederson (7), Mendy (6.5), Dias (6.5), Stones (7), Cancelo (7.5), Gundogan (7.5), Rodrigo (8), Sterling (8), de Bruyne (9), Mahrez (8), Jesus (7)
Fulham: Areola (7), Aina (6), Andersen (6.5), Adarabioyo (7), Cordova-Reid (6), Anguissa (8), Reed (6.5), Robinson (7.5), Loftus-Cheek (6.5), Lookman (5.5), Cavaleiro (7), Cairney (6), Lemina (6.5), Kamara (6)
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Goals: Sterling, de Bruyne pen
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A
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